How to Pass the Time While Stuck in L.A. Traffic
Hey – we’ve all been there. Traffic Jam. Late for work, meeting friends or just exhausted and want to get home. Instead of resorting to road rage, which is sure to wreck the rest of the day and possibly land you in jail, Megan offers some alternatives that can keep you sane and happy, without resorting to anything illegal!
Filmmakers’ Dreams Come True
Runner, and one of the stars of Where Dreams Don’t Fade, Robert Kigen is now officially in the US and will be at the Cleveland International Film Festival. Look forward to meeting Robert at the screenings and other events in Cleveland over the next few weeks.
“Where Dreams Don’t Fade” – co-produced and directed by EY’s very own Martin Mudry, will be screening at the 36th Cleveland International Film Festival running March 22 – April 1. See you there?
Filmmakers Dream of Festival Screening
After months of shooting in the Kenyan highlands, editing footage in Colorado Springs and finally shipping off the completed documentary “Where Dreams Don’t Fade” to some twenty film festivals around the world, Filmakers Alex Nichols and Martin Mudry, the onetime cross-country teammates, have all but crossed the finish line for their project…
In defense of the family road trip:
Like many moody teenagers, I dreamt of suing my parents, but never more than after our first family road trip. I imagined bringing my mom and dad to the courthouse of public opinion in my mind, but I thought, why stop there? Why not sue my two sisters and make it a clean sweep? Maybe, just maybe, I could prevent these people from ruining any more lives.
This is my story. The story of the worst, most humiliating two weeks of my life. I’d change the names, but it would only protect the guilty.
Afterward
There is no doubt that travel inspires all sorts of stories and from time to time, EntertainingYourself.com likes to go beyond our usual content to offer up some fiction and non-fiction that make for a really “good read.” This thought provoking short story was inspired by EY writer Megan Ritchie’s time spent living and studying in Poland.
I survived Dog Sledding in Mongolia
Entertaining Yourself through Adventure is NOT necessarily for the faint of heart. Will calls this story: “I survived Dog Sledding in Mongolia ~ OR ~ How to put what’s left of a good face on travel adversity.” We would have called it “You Don’t Have To Be Crazy, But..” except we already used that title. Best advice: “Bundle up tight, hold onto your hats and prepare yourself for a chilling ride.” This is the perfect tale for an Armchair Adventurer…
The World Really Is Flat
Based on a Ritchie Family legend – as told by EY Contributor Megan Ritchie
Bob trudged out the door – keeping his promise for one reason: his wife, Linda. Trained as a lawyer, she was skilled at convincing him to do things he didn’t want to do.
“It’ll be good for you,” she said, patting his knee. And so, off he went, armed, but most certainly not ready, for what was about to come next…
Spring Pucker
It’s that funny month of March again where mornings are Winter and afternoons already Spring. All batty-eyed and full of expectation, the sun – as the lark – rises earlier each morning. The overnight chill leaves the road that stretches from my house to school icy until midday when the mud and green and chirp of birds reappear, reminding me that I’ve made it through the cruel months of Winter once again…IT’S SPRING! I know it’s early yet, but I do think it’ll be a good one.
How I Chose My College – Or How It Chose Me
I loved college. I really loved it. Don’t get me wrong, it never was easy, and there were some tough parts, but the four years I spent earning a BA were terrific.
I didn’t always think they would be; in fact, for most of high-school I didn’t want to go to college.
Part 2 – The Engagement
Continued from Part 1 – An Engaging Story:
I had two things remaining on my to do list: 1) find a ring; 2) tell my parents. I didn’t get around to either that day.
It was now April 19th, the day my girlfriend turned 25 and we were meeting for dinner at 6:00. On the family patio I ran into my father…“Dad I’m–getting engaged.” He stood up. “When?” — “In two hours.” — “You better tell your mother”
Part 1 – An Engaging Story
How A Procrastinating Pragmatist Rediscovered Romance
I was romantic once. It was late summer and I’d been walking with my girlfriend of somewhere-between-eight-and-nine-years down a rolling, park single-track.
“All I want,” she said, “is a sign that you are committed to this relationship and to me and that we have a future together.”
“Listen,” I said, “give me one year and I’ll do it.”
We’d reached the edge of the park when I had a flash of inspiration. I would propose on her birthday, April 19th. She’d like it. It would be romantic. It would be easy to remember.
At that moment I was excited. I was committed. Then I forgot.
Give It A Rest
Sometimes it dawns on me that I’m probably an armchair adventurer. You want the best trip into the wild? Read someone else’s account, complete with beauty, hardship, awe, and maybe a little disaster thrown into the mix.
Early on in this particular hike the heat and sun were getting to me. Why had I left cooler Hollywood to head inland to the higher, and in the summer, hotter mountains?
Rosy Outlook: Blue Skies
For Our Friends On The East Coast
(And everyone else battling the weather)
“Ride out the storm
This too shall pass…
Take the Blessing and Run!
You know it’s true, you really can get used to being the square peg in a circle town. It might have taken a year, but hearing my name on the street finally feels ordinary. Groups of “We Real Cool” teenagers greet me in German or Japanese, in any foreign language they know. Gazes and stares […]
Second Chances: UB Mongolia
August 24th, 2008 – a symphony of fireworks exploded over Ulaanbaatar, (or UB as it’s locally known), as crowds jumped and shouted in the streets. Passengers slapped high-fives with strangers from car windows; horns blared; people danced across the sidewalks. Mongolia, a nation of three million, had just won its second Olympic gold medal ever—its […]
Life After Graduation
For recent college grads it’s widely believed that finding a job is hard work—economic crisis or not— but the world is vast, and if you’re open to traveling, it’s possible to find your niche in some pretty unexpected places. That’s how I ended up in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, writing about the nation of Genghis Khan […]
Jumping In California Style
With less than two weeks to go until my first marathon, I decided to head to the famous Santa Monica bike path for one final effort to gauge my fitness. Since most of my runs have been on hilly and mountainous trails I thought a flat run with mile markers would be a good way […]
How to Beat Boredom
The Ngong’ athletic training camp is located thirty kilometres, west of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city. The camp consists of a group of individuals from different parts of the country and indeed, the world with a common goal of achieving success in the field of athletics. (A note to our American readers- the word “athletics” […]
A Perspective on Air Travel
This could pass as an ordinary experience for most of you, but this is the moment that defines my adulthood. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I have been used to travelling in public transport vehicles and in rare occasions, get a chance to ride in private vehicles. My first experience on a plane was […]